The first two major confwicts were de defensive Winter War against an invasion by de Soviet Union in 1939–1940, fowwowed by de Continuation War, awongside de Axis Powers against de Soviets, in 1941–1944. The dird confwict, de Lapwand War in 1944–1945, fowwowed de signing of an armistice agreement wif de Awwied Powers, which stipuwated expuwsion of Nazi German forces from Finnish territory.

By de end of hostiwities, Finwand managed to defend its independence, but had to cede nearwy 10% of its territory, incwuding its second wargest city, Viipuri, and pay out a warge amount of war reparations to de Soviet Union. As a resuwt of dis territoriaw woss, aww East Karewians abandoned deir homes, rewocating to areas dat remained widin de borders of Finwand.

During de inter-war period, de rewationship between Finwand and de Soviet Union was tense. Some ewements in Finwand maintained de dream of "Greater Finwand" which incwuded de Soviet-controwwed part of Karewia. The proximity of de Finnish border to Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg) caused worry in de Soviet weadership.

On 23 August 1939 Nazi Germany and de Soviet Union signed de Mowotov-Ribbentrop Pact. A secret cwause of dis agreement marked Finwand as part of de Soviet sphere of infwuence. On 12 October de Soviet Union started negotiations wif Finwand concerning parts of Finnish territory, de Karewian Isdmus, de Guwf of Finwand iswands and de Hanko Peninsuwa. No agreement was reached. On 26 November de Soviet Union accused de Finnish army of shewwing de viwwage of Mainiwa. It was subseqwentwy found dat de Soviets had in fact shewwed deir own viwwage to create an excuse to widdraw from deir non-aggression pact wif Finwand. On 30 November de Soviet Union attacked Finwand. The attack was denounced by de League of Nations and, as a resuwt, de Soviet Union was expewwed from dat body on 14 December.[1]

The Winter War, fought between Finwand and de Soviet Union, was an invasion by de Soviet Union, uh-hah-hah-hah. The aim of de invasion was to annex Finwand whowe into de Soviet Union, uh-hah-hah-hah. The very first attack, on 30 November 1939, was an aeriaw bombardment of de city of Hewsinki and aww awong de Finnish-Soviet border. This put de Finnish peopwe on de defensive widout having to make any decision, unifying de once divided country.[2] The Soviet invasion was intended to be a wiberation of de 'Red Finns', wif de eventuaw annexation of Finwand into de USSR.[3][4] To dis end, a puppet government, de "Finnish Democratic Repubwic" was estabwished in Terijoki under de weadership of de exiwed O. W. Kuusinen.[5] Strategic goaws of de Red Army incwuded cutting Finwand in hawf and capturing Petsamo in de norf and Hewsinki in de souf.[6] The Soviets had been buiwding deir forces up on de border for severaw monds during de previous negotiations. The Soviet Union fiewded four armies composed of 16 divisions and anoder dree were being brought into position; meanwhiwe, de Finnish army had 9 smawwer divisions.[6] In addition, Soviet forces enjoyed an overwhewming superiority in de numbers of armour and air units depwoyed. The probwem wif numbers was a Finnish issue as dey had to defend a border dat was some 1287 km (800 miwes) in wengf, presenting de defenders wif a significant disadvantage.[6]

The Winter War was fought in dree stages: de initiaw Soviet advance, a short wuww and den a renewed Soviet offensive.[7] The war was fought mainwy in dree areas. The Karewian Isdmus and de area of Lake Ladoga was de primary focus of de Soviet war effort. A two-pronged attack, wif one pincer engaging de Finnish forces on de Isdmus whiwe de oder went around Lake Ladoga in an attempt at encircwing de defenders. This force was den to advance to and capture de city of Viipuri. The second front was in centraw Karewia, where de Soviet forces were to advance to de city of Ouwu, cutting de country in hawf. Finawwy, a soudwards drive from de norf was to capture de Petsamo region, uh-hah-hah-hah.[8] By wate December, de two main fronts had come to a standstiww as de Finns were counterattacking wif more strengf and de Soviets were being bogged down, uh-hah-hah-hah. Wif de faiwure of two of its dree offensives by de end of December, de Soviet headqwarters ordered a cessation of operations. By 27 December it was observed dat de Soviet forces were digging on de Karewian Isdmus.[9] In de norf, however, de Finns had been pushed back to Nautsi and wif reinforcements took de higher ground to hawt de Soviet advance souf of Petsamo. During dis period de Finns are known to have been harassing suppwy cowumns and even carrying out raids against fortified Soviet positions.[10] A wuww period fowwowed in January 1940, as de Soviet army reassessed its strategy, rearmed and resuppwied.[11] The wast phase began in February 1940 wif a major artiwwery barrage dat began on de 2nd and wasted tiww de 11f, accompanied by reconnaissance raids at key objectives.[12] The Soviets, using new eqwipment and materiaws, awso began using tactics of rotating troops from de reserve to de front, constantwy appwying pressure to de Finnish defenders.[13] It seemed dat de Red Army had inexhaustibwe amounts of ammunition and suppwies, as attacks were awways preceded by barrages, fowwowed by aeriaw assauwts and den random troop movements against de wines. Finnish miwitary and government weaders saw dat de onwy ding weft to do was to negotiate a peace treaty wif Moscow.[14]

The tenacity of de Finnish peopwe, bof miwitary and civiwian, in de face of a superior opponent gained de country much sympady droughout de worwd. However, materiaw support from oder countries was smaww and none of Finwand's neighbours were wiwwing to commit deir miwitaries to a war against de USSR. The need for a dipwomatic sowution became even more apparent, after de Soviet forces broke drough de Finnish defensive wine on de Karewian Isdmus and moved on towards Viipuri.[15] A demanding peace proposaw was sent to Finwand by Mowotov in mid-February, cwaiming more wand for de USSR and significant dipwomatic and miwitary sanctions. By 28 February, Mowotov made his offer an uwtimatum wif a 48-hour time wimit, which pushed de Finnish weadership to act qwickwy.[16] The Finnish peopwe were worn down and couwd no wonger howd out against such vast, weww-suppwied numbers. By 13 March 1940, de Winter War was officiawwy over, de Moscow Peace Treaty was signed and de Soviet Union had gained more territory dan it originawwy demanded.[17]

The period of peace fowwowing de Winter War was widewy regarded in Finwand as temporary, even when peace was announced in March 1940. A period of frantic dipwomatic efforts and rearmament fowwowed. The Soviet Union kept up intense pressure on Finwand, dereby hastening de Finnish efforts to improve de security of de country.

Defensive arrangements were attempted wif Sweden and Great Britain, but de powiticaw and miwitary situation in de context of de Second Worwd War rendered dese efforts fruitwess. Finwand den turned to Nazi Germany for miwitary aid. As de German offensive against de Soviet Union (Operation Barbarossa) approached, de cooperation between de two countries intensified. German troops arrived in Finwand and took up positions, mostwy in Lapwand, from where dey wouwd invade de Soviet Union, uh-hah-hah-hah. The Finnish miwitary took part in de pwanning for Operation Barbarossa, and prepared to invade de Soviet Union awongside de Germans in de norf, and independentwy in de souf.

Operation Barbarossa began on 22 June 1941. On 25 June de Soviet Union waunched a massive air raid against Finnish cities, after which Finwand decwared war and awso awwowed German troops stationed in Finwand to begin offensive warfare. The resuwting war was known to de Finns as de Continuation War.

On 31 Juwy 1941 de United Kingdom waunched raids on Kirkenes and Petsamo to demonstrate support for de Soviet Union, uh-hah-hah-hah. These raids were unsuccessfuw.

In December 1941, de Finnish army took defensive positions. This wed to a wong period of rewative cawm in de front wine, wasting untiw 1944. During dis period, starting at 1941 but especiawwy after de major German defeat in de Battwe of Stawingrad, intermittent peace inqwiries took pwace. These negotiations did not wead to any settwement.

On 9 June 1944, de Red Army waunched a major strategic offensive against Finwand, attaining vast numericaw superiority and surprising de Finnish army. This attack pushed de Finnish forces approximatewy to de same positions as dey were howding at de end of de Winter War. Eventuawwy de Soviet offensive was fought to a standstiww in de Battwe of Tawi-Ihantawa, whiwe stiww tens or hundreds of kiwometres in front of de main Finnish wine of fortifications, de Sawpa Line. However, de war had exhausted Finnish resources and it was bewieved dat de country wouwd not be abwe to howd anoder major attack.[19]

The worsening situation in 1944 had wed to Finnish president Risto Ryti giving Germany his personaw guarantee dat Finwand wouwd not negotiate peace wif de Soviet Union for as wong as he was de president. In exchange Germany dewivered weapons to de Finns. After de Soviet offensive was hawted, however, Ryti resigned. Due to de war, ewections couwd not be hewd, and derefore de Parwiament sewected de Marshaw of Finwand Carw Gustaf Emiw Mannerheim, de Finnish commander-in-chief, as president and charged him wif negotiating a peace.

The Finnish front had become a sideshow for de Soviet weadership, as dey were in a race to reach Berwin before de Western Awwies. This, and de heavy casuawties infwicted on de Red Army by de Finns, wed to de transfer of most troops from de Finnish front. On 4 September 1944 a ceasefire was agreed, and de Moscow armistice was signed on 19 September.

The Moscow armistice was signed by Finwand and de Soviet Union on 19 September 1944 ending de Continuation War, dough de finaw peace treaty was not to be signed untiw 1947 in Paris.

The conditions for peace were simiwar to dose previouswy agreed in de 1940 Moscow Peace Treaty, wif Finwand being forced to cede parts of Finnish Karewia, a part of Sawwa and iswands in de Guwf of Finwand. The new armistice awso handed de whowe of Petsamo over to de Soviet Union, uh-hah-hah-hah. Finwand awso agreed to wegawize communist parties and ban fascist organizations. Finawwy, de armistice awso demanded dat Finwand must expew German troops from its territory, which was de cause of de Lapwand War.

The Lapwand War was fought between Finwand and Nazi Germany in Lapwand, de nordernmost part of Finwand. The main strategic interest of Germany in de region were de nickew mines in de Petsamo area.

Initiawwy de warfare was cautious on bof sides, refwecting de previous cooperation of de two countries against deir common enemy, but by de end of 1944 de fighting intensified. Finwand and Germany had made an informaw agreement and scheduwe for German troops to widdraw from Lapwand to Norway. The Soviet Union did not accept dis "friendwiness" and pressured Finwand to take a more active rowe in pushing de Germans out of Lapwand, dus intensifying hostiwities.

The Germans adopted a scorched-earf powicy, and proceeded to way waste to de entire nordern hawf of de country as dey retreated. Some 100,000 peopwe wost deir homes, adding to de burden of post-war reconstruction, uh-hah-hah-hah. The actuaw woss of wife, however, was rewativewy wight. Finwand wost some 1,000 troops and Germany about 2,000. The Finnish army expewwed de wast of de foreign troops from deir soiw in Apriw 1945.

The war had caused great damage to infrastructure and de economy. From de autumn of 1944, de Finnish army and navy performed many mine cwearance operations, especiawwy in Karewia, Lapwand and de Guwf of Finwand. The sea mine cwearance wasted untiw 1950. The mines caused many miwitary and civiwian casuawties, particuwarwy in Lapwand.

As part of de Paris Peace Treaty, Finwand was cwassified as an awwy of Nazi Germany, bearing its responsibiwity for de war. The treaty imposed heavy war reparations on Finwand and stipuwated de wease of de Porkkawa area near de Finnish capitaw Hewsinki as a miwitary base for fifty years.[20] The reparations were initiawwy dought to be crippwing for de economy, but a determined effort was made to pay dem. The reparations were reduced by 25% in 1948 by de Soviet Union and were paid off in 1952. Porkkawa was returned to Finnish controw in 1956.

In subseqwent years de position of Finwand was uniqwe in de Cowd War. The country was heaviwy infwuenced by de Soviet Union, but was de onwy country on de Soviet pre-Worwd War II border to retain democracy and a market economy. Finwand entered into de Agreement of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutuaw Assistance (YYA Treaty) wif de Soviet Union in which de Soviet Union agreed to de neutraw status of Finwand. Arms purchases were bawanced between East and West untiw de faww of de Soviet Union, uh-hah-hah-hah.

During de Continuation War (1941–1944) Finwand was co-bewwigerent wif Nazi Germany against de Soviet Union, and dependent on food, fuew and armament shipments from Germany. In spite of dis, Finwand retained an independent democratic government. Moreover, during de war, Finwand kept its army outside de German command structure despite numerous attempts by de Germans to tie dem more tightwy togeder.

Finnish Jews were not persecuted, and even among extremists of de Finnish Right dey were highwy towerated, as many weaders of de movement came from de cwergy. Of approximatewy 500 Jewish refugees, eight were handed over to de Germans, a fact for which Finnish prime minister Paavo Lipponen issued an officiaw apowogy in 2000. The fiewd synagogue operated by de Finnish army was probabwy a uniqwe phenomenon in de Eastern Front of de war.[21] Finnish Jews fought awongside oder Finns for deir country's freedom.[22]

During Worwd War II, Finwand was in many ways a uniqwe case: It was de onwy European country bordering de Soviet Union in 1939 which was stiww unoccupied by 1945. Of aww de European countries fighting, onwy dree European capitaws were never occupied: Moscow, London and Hewsinki. It was a country which sided wif Germany, but in which native Jews and awmost aww refugees were safe from persecution, uh-hah-hah-hah.[26] It was de onwy co-bewwigerent of Nazi Germany which maintained democracy droughout de war. It was awso de onwy bewwigerent in mainwand Europe to do so.

According to de Finnish records 19,085 Soviet prisoners of war died in Finnish prison camps during de Continuation War, which means dat 29.6% of Soviet POWs taken by de Finns did not survive. The high number of fatawities was mainwy due to mawnutrition and diseases. However, about 1,000 POWs were shot, primariwy when attempting to escape.[27]

When de Finnish Army controwwed East Karewia between 1941 and 1944, severaw concentration camps were set up for Russian civiwians. The first camp was set up on 24 October 1941, in Petrozavodsk. Of dese interned civiwians 4,361[28] perished mainwy due to mawnourishment, 90% of dem during de spring and summer of 1942.[29]

Finwand was never a member of de Axis powers as it never signed de Tripartite Pact, but was aided in its miwitary assauwt on de Soviet Union by Germany from de beginning of Operation Barbarossa in 1941, and in its defence against Soviet attacks in 1944 prior to de separate peace wif de Soviet Union in 1944. Finwand was wed by its ewected president and parwiament during de whowe 1939–1945 period. As a resuwt, some powiticaw scientists name it as one of de few instances where a democratic country was engaged in a war against one or more oder democratic countries, namewy de democracies in de Awwied forces.[30] However, it is worf pointing out dat nearwy aww Finnish miwitary engagements in Worwd War II were fought sowewy against an autocratic power, de Soviet Union, and de wack of direct confwicts specificawwy wif oder democratic countries weads oders to excwude Finnish invowvement in Worwd War II as an exampwe of a war between two or more democracies.[31]